New Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel spoke with the local media moments ago and made it clear that he's quite clear on his role with this year's team.

He's Christian Ponder's backup. Period. End of discussion.

"[The Vikings] conveyed to me that Christian obviously had a great year last year," said Cassel, who signed a two-year deal with the Vikings on Thursday. "They went 10-6 and he is their starting quarterback. They said they're looking to bring somebody in with experience who could come in and basically be somebody who can step in if need be. The fact of the matter is, again, Christian is the starting quarterback. I think we'll have a great [meeting] room. I'm there to add value. I'm there to help him out in whatever capacity that is, and go from there."

Cassel is an eight-year veteran with 62 NFL starts. He's been a starter the past five years, including the past four with Kansas City, although he was benched after a 1-8 start last season.